The paper stresses that, in teaching language handicapped children, the natural reinforcement of language as means of communication, of obtaining wants, is of more value than reinforcers (such as candy) often used in clinical settings. (PHR)

This article on the use of applied behavior analysis with students who have autism focuses on discrete trial training (DTT) to develop new forms of behavior, new discriminations, advanced skills, and manage disruptive behavior. Cautions include the need to combine the method with other interventions, provide intensive DTT during early phases of…

The article provides a staff observation form for providing feedback to increase staff's differential reinforcement of incompatible behaviors in the training of appropriate leisure activities in persons with severe and profound handicaps. (DB)

This paper reviews the rationale and behavioral interventions commonly used for teaching compliance to individuals with mental retardation and the role of ethics in the use of such interventions. The paper examines issues in deciding whether compliance is an appropriate objective for an individual and whether interventions designed to achieve…

Describes a one-day Teaching Skills Training Program to train paraprofessional school personnel working with students with severe disabilities. The program focuses on four basic teaching competencies: task analysis, least-to-most assistive prompting, reinforcement, and error correction. The training format incorporates a classroom-based component,…

This article introduces the use of nonaversive behavior management with persons exhibiting undesirable behaviors. Definitions are suggested and three fundamental elements are explained: (1) a nonaversive set of procedures; (2) social validation criteria emphasizing personal dignity; and (3) the prohibition or restriction of certain aversive or…

This booklet explains a system for prevention of and intervention with behavior problems in individuals with mental retardation and autism. The underlying premise is that all behaviors are an effort at communication and that by deciphering the communicative intent or function, one can guide an individual to a more acceptable mode of communication.…

The article describes the use of interrupted behavior chains to teach communication skills in natural settings with autistic students. Empirical and theoretical bases for the training strategy are explained as are specific procedures for implementing the strategy. Implications of the strategy for classroom organization and service delivery are…

This monograph aims to assist parents in dealing with behavior problems of children with disabilities. It begins with a case history of an 8-year-old girl with learning disabilities, emotional problems, and behavior problems and her parents' advocacy efforts to obtain an appropriate educational environment for her. Aversive interventions are…

This guide shows how principles of functional assessment can be applied to behavior problems of students with mental retardation to identify the behavior's purposes and plan for more effective intervention in classrooms, supported living settings, and work settings. It shows how to conduct a functional assessment and link assessment results to…

This source book focuses on helping people with autism manage their behavior by analyzing the learning environment and the purpose of the behavior and then teaching new skills and behaviors. Introductory material covers the approach's philosophy and the importance of a longitudinal program plan. A section on creating a physical environment for…

A literature review of parent training programs on treating young children with behavioral problems indicates most programs used a social learning approach and that overall, the Eyberg and Webster-Stratton models held promise for direct service providers working with behavioral difficulties. Factors that influence a program's success are…

Solution parenting is designed to provide both foster parents and caseworkers a new kind of parenting for difficult children and youth in placement. The specialized training program is for those who will teach solution parenting. Objectives for trainees include: (1) identify small, positive behavioral changes; (2) recognize and use pre-existing…

This book offers a British perspective on ways of conceptualizing, assessing, and intervening in the challenging behavior of people with severe learning disabilities, with emphasis on the types of technical support needed. An introductory chapter explains why the term "learning disability" is used rather than mental handicap, mental…

This article examines impediments to effective dissemination of training in positive behavioral support, such as school discipline policies and the inadequacy of training models. It suggests ways new information technologies can overcome these obstacles and reviews some new approaches using CD-ROM and online instructional methodologies to advance…